Nicotine and the Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is a condition whereby the heart’s major blood vessels are damaged or diseased. The main cause is the build-up of plaque or fatty substances in the coronary arteries, and due to this blockage, the heart’s blood supply is interrupted, leading to chest pains, indigestion, and shortness of breath. According to research, Coronary Heart Disease is the number one cause of death in the United Kingdom and globally (“Coronary heart disease,” 2022). The major causes of this disease include smoking, nicotine and carbon monoxide, excessive alcohol consumption, and high blood pressure.
Nicotine is a chemical accessed by smoking cigarettes or an infusion of nicotine to the body and causes the heart to work faster, increasing the risk of blood clots. Nicotine is highly addictive and, with time, can lead to increased blood pressure, heart rate, and blood flow to the heart, narrowing the arteries and hardening the arterial walls, which may result in a heart attack (“American Heart Association | To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives,” 2022).
Furthermore, carbon monoxide greatly contributes to Coronary Heart Disease by smoking as well. It is a harmful gas to the breathing system since, once in the lungs, it is transferred to the bloodstream and decreases the oxygen amount in the red blood cells. Carbon monoxide also causes arteries to harden by increasing cholesterol amount taken into the arteries furthering to heart disease or heart attack.
Nicotine causes coronary heart disease and leads to other health consequences such as lung disease, cancer, and diabetes. When smoking cigarettes or vape, nicotine causes lung tissue inflammation and reduces tissues’ ability to act as a barrier to foreign substances (“Science News for Students”, 2022). Therefore, nicotine has a common effect on all diseases that damage a part of the body. In conclusion, smokers should try to find ways to stop smoking so as to be less prone to these Coronary Heart Diseases and be mindful of passive smokers as they can also get affected.
References
American Heart Association | To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. (2022). Retrieved 20 April 2022, from https://www.heart.org/
Coronary heart disease. (2022). Retrieved 19 April 2022, from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronary-heart-disease/
Science News for Students. (2022). Retrieved 20 April 2022, from https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/
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Question
Identify the basic ways that nicotine and carbon monoxide contribute to the development of coronary heart disease (CHD).
Examine the relationship between CHD and other health consequences of nicotine use.